The Gripper Picks Up and the Gripper Sets Down
Interview with Benjamin Barth, Managing Director and Manuel Maier, Project Engineering at BARTH Mechanik GmbH
Machines for complex technical processes - for example, injection molding - require reliable and precise components. Important elements of such machines are grippers for picking up and placing products. The family-run BARTH Mechanik GmbH from Zimmern ob Rottweil specializes in these grippers.
"Our products are of high quality and also visually appealing," assures Benjamin Barth, Managing Director of BARTH Mechanik GmbH. "What further speaks for us is our quick response and our excellent spare parts service. Due to our size, we handle orders very simply and very personally." The core product of BARTH Mechanik is the gripper for injection molding machines, which removes parts and also places them back. In addition to grippers with corresponding storage and feeding systems, the Swabian family company also supplies visual inspection systems as well as robot and manufacturing cells. "We offer our customers everything from a single source," explains Manuel Maier, responsible for project planning at BARTH Mechanik.
"This includes consulting, project planning and proposals as well as construction, assembly and programming."
Started in a residential house
Hermann Barth began freelancing in 1989 with milling work and prototype production in his own home. Thanks to good work, the company grew quickly and in 2001 his sons Benjamin and Manuel joined the firm. The machinery was expanded and 3-D printing also opened up new possibilities, making BARTH the regional market leader in the industry about ten years ago.
Today, the company, which is 100% family-owned, employs 27 staff members. Customers include injection molding machine manufacturers and their clientele. The reference list includes prestigious names such as Arburg, Bosch, Siemens, B. Braun, and Vorwerk. Many orders are secured through the strong collaboration with Arburg, a manufacturer of injection molding machines. Together with Arburg, BARTH also presents itself at the Fakuma trade fair in Friedrichshafen. Customer support for machines with PLC control is always available remotely. Undoubtedly, the familial work environment also contributes to BARTH's success.
Benjamin Barth: "In our very young team, everyone is on a first-name basis and there is very little turnover." For the managing director, further technical innovations and consistently state-of-the-art solutions are the most important goals for the future.